A SYDNEY schoolgirl who sent money to an Islamic State fighter said the man had promised to marry her.

The now 17-year-old has pleaded guilty in Parramatta Children’s Court to knowingly collecting funds for a terrorist organisation by arranging the transfer $17,850 to the Australian-born IS fighter between 2015 and last year.

The girl’s lawyer Zemarai Khatiz told the court the girl was “in love” with the man, who had promised to marry her soon after they first met in Sydney when she was just 14 and he was 22.

“She followed the instructions of an older man that she wanted to impress, she had romantic feelings towards him and he had told her that he wanted to marry her,” Mr Khatiz said.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, entering Parramatta Children’s Court with her lawyer, Zemarai Khatiz. Picture: John Grainger.Source:News Corp Australia

The court heard the girl arranged for three transactions through Western Union, recruiting her older sister and friends to carry out the transfers.

Police captured numerous electronic conversations between the girl and the IS fighter on her phone in relation to requests for money.

The agreed facts tendered to court reveal the woman collected money from people, including the man’s sister, and arranged for it to be sent to him.

He instructed her to write Christian names as the recipients on the transfers so they would not arouse suspicion.

The IS fighter, eight years older than the schoolgirl, advised her to use Christian names on the bank transfers so as not to raise suspicion.Source:Supplied

Commonwealth prosecutor Troy Anderson told the court the man told her the money would be used to, “assist the mujahideen against the kafir”.

Mr Khatiz said the girl first met the man when she was 14 and he was 22.

He said the man completed renovations on her family home and she remained in contact with him even after he went overseas on a “pilgrimage” and ended up in Syria fighting for IS.

Mr Khatiz said over time the man “brainwashed” and “manipulated” her and she became his “puppet”.

At one stage he begged her to go with his sister to buy clothes and send them to him because, “the clothes you get here are no good, I don’t even have shoes”.

The transfers took place on three occasions over 2015 and 2016.

The girl and another man, whose name is suppressed, was arrested before the third transfer of money was sent.

The 22-year-old man is still before the courts.

The prosecution applied to have the case transferred from the Children’s Local Court to the District Court where the maximum penalty is 15 years as opposed to two years.

“This is a very serious offence and this is a very serious example of it,” Prosecutor Troy Anderson said.

“She is acting like an adult. She may be acting at the request of an adult but she is cognisant of what she is doing,” Mr Anderson said.

Mr Khatiz is opposing the application saying she was manipulated by an older man and was immature.

He said she no longer supported IS and had received religious counselling to moderate her views.

The hearing continues.

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